Ceres: In the Shadow of the Valley of Death
by t.j.guard
Summary: With Montgomery's prison break imminent, a deadly chess game is underway, involving spies, lemons, and the Ceres.
1. Chapter 1

Ceres: In the Shadow of the Valley of Death

Disclaimer: I don't own Cars.

A/N: set a couple months (2-3) after Ceres: Grand Prix

Chapter One

Finn drove into CHROME Britain, the familiar inconspicuous grey building, right to the office of the new chief, a light green car that almost looked like a racer. The new nameplate read 'Damien deAngelo'. The car rushed around the desk. "Ah, Finn McMissile," he said with a laugh, shaking tires with the Aston Martin. "You're the CHROME hero. Why didn't you take this job?"

"I love field work," Finn replied. "Wouldn't trade it for anything in the world."

deAngelo chuckled. "How was your latest mission?"

Finn looked around as if searching for the right word. Finally, he said, "Informative."

"Aren't they all?" Both cars chuckled. "How's your partner, Miss Shiftwell?"

"Doing well, thank you. She's on her way to Radiator Springs to see a boyfriend right now."

"Oh, good. Is he treating her right?"

"He had better be."

Again, both cars laughed. "I wouldn't want to be on the other end of one of your guns, that's for sure. Now," deAngelo asked, "how may I be of assistance?"

"Actually, you summoned me."

"Ah, yes, I remember now. Our friend from the Allinol Scandal, Sir Miles, would like to speak with you."

"What about?"

"He wouldn't say, but he said it was absolutely urgent. Come with me."

Finn followed deAngelo out of the office, then out into the street, down a block or two, and finally to a building that looked as inconspicuous as the CHROME Britain building. deAngelo entered a code and led Finn into the building. After a few words with some guards, the two cars were escorted down a corridor to a small cell in the back of the building. The guards opened the cell door, and deAngelo gestured for Finn to enter, which the Aston Martin did reluctantly. "Sir Miles?" he asked once he entered.

"I don't think I'm worty of such a title anymore," the Land Rover said, rolling forward out of the shadows of the cell.

Finn glanced over his fender at the cell door, which was flanked by four guards, two on each side. deAngelo was nowhere to be seen from his vantage point. He looked back at Axlerod. "You wanted to see me?"

"It's been brought to my attention that you're close to the Montgomery case."

"What about it?"

"I have a very interesting development for you."

"Before we go any further, what do you hope to gain through this?"

"Prison has a way of making you think about your actions, because you really have nothing better to do and a lot of time to do it in." Finn's eyes roamed the far wall, which was lined in newspaper clippings regarding the Allinol case. "I know every detail of my crime, every last detail," Axlerod said, looking at the newspaper clippings.

"Tell me about this development of yours," Finn whispered.

"Montgomery's planning an excape."

"This is why I felt an arrest would be too light, but did anyone listen to me? No," Finn muttered through gritted teeth. More loudly, he said, "In that case, I'll need your help."

Axlerod turned to face the Aston Martin. "You...need _my_ help?"

Finn nodded. "It's nothing too challenging, at least I hope. All I need you to do is watch Montgomery and tell me exactly what he does and says each day."

"Oh, that's not too bad."

"Be as surreptitious as possible. He didn't get to be spy chief for nothing."

"Right."

"And please, do be careful. I never like to see an informant's hood on a platter."

"Be careful, be sneaky, find out as much as I can. Right-o."

"Excellent."

Finn turned to leave, and Axlerod said, "Thanks."

The Aston Martin half-turned, replied, "You're welcome," with a smile, and drove out of the cell.

"How did it go?" deAngelo asked as he fell in beside Finn farther down the corridor.

"Quite well, considering."

"What did he have to tell you that was so urgent?"

"Montgomery's getting antsy with prison life. His axles are made for driving." deAngelo nodded. "I'm depending on Sir Miles' help to gain more information on Montgomery's plan."

"So you hope I can guarantee Sir Miles' protection."

"Not guarantee, per se. More like I hope you can increase his assurance of his own safety. Some of the inmates here are very dangerous, even moreso than the heads of the Four Families."

"Being an informant is the easiest job in this line of work by far," deAngelo said with a nod as he and Finn drove into the jailhouse waiting room. "Don't worry, Finn. Your jailbird informant is in good tires."

"Thank you, deAngelo." The two cars shook tires and drove out of the jailhouse and down the block to the CHROME Britain building.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Lexie swerved around a bush and then turned and drifted to a stop just a few feet outside of Radiator Springs. Mater had dropped the last bale of hay into place along Route Sixty-Six while the others were watching. "Ah, the annual fun race," she said as she drove up.

"Yep," Lightning replied. "Looks like you had one of your own."

"Racin' the wind, Dad. Racin' the wind."

"Did you wind or did the wind?"

"I think the wind did." Lightning chuckled. "So, how're all your racer friends?"

"They're good. Kind of annoyed that the Prix is being put off for another month or so, but we're still doing our annual race here, so I guess that's good news to them."

"Cool. How's Francesco?"

"Weird, as usual."

Lexie nodded. "It's pretty fun to watch you two verbally chew each other up and spit each other out."

"He's an okay car. He's just a little cocky sometimes, and usually it's funny."

"Hope he stays. He's not all bad."

"Never said he was."

"I know." Lexie studied the street that had been converted into a Grand Prix-quality track. "Another two days and this place will be packed with racers and pit crews and then by the next day they'll all have packed up and left. It's really kinda surreal."

"Yeah, it is."

"Wonder if Finn and Holley will show up."

"If they do, Mater's gonna be the happiest tow truck in the world. Speaking of cars showing up, you should call Alex and ask him to come. He hasn't been around lately."

"You know what, I should do that right now." Without waiting for a reply, she drove to the payphone, called the operator, and asked for Alex Pacer. A voice she didn't recognize demanded to know who she was, and she said, "I'm a friend of Alex's."

"Sorry, lady. He just left," he said.

"Where'd he go?"

"Radiation Stinks or something like that."

"Radiator Springs. Thanks anyway." She hung up and drove back out to Radiator Springs. "He's already on his way here."

"That's good news for you, then, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Lexie felt her face burning again, reminding her of the seemingly long ago day when Alex chased down a helicopter and attached himself to an industrial magnet in order to wake up beside her in a cell somewhere in Japan.

She looked down the road as it headed west, and she thought of the drive they'd shared before everything spiralled almost completely out of control. Then, she'd mentioned her hunch that she possibly had an engine similar to hers. Considering what happened in Japan, she had no doubt. The question then became how to keep him safe in case Montgomery ever broke out of jail and came after him.

She closed her eyes and shook her hood in an effort to clear her mind. "You okay?" Lightning asked, looking over at her.

"Yeah. Just thinkin'," she replied.

"About Alex."

"Yeah."

Lightning nodded, his eyes scanning the rest of Radiator Springs. "It's kinda late."

"Y'know, I think I'll go for another drive."

"Okay."

Lexie turned and drove down the road at a reasonable pace, far easier to handle than what she was managing earlier, and it wasn't long before she found herself retracing the route she and Alex took some time prior.

CARS

Lexie closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of the setting sun on her hood. Tires crunch against dirt, and she glanced in her mirror at the familiar scarred, aquamarine Pacer. "When did you leave? I called this afternoon," she said.

"Yeah, I heard. I left a couple days ago from Curby's place," he replied.

"What were you seein' him for?"

"Some Pacer family business."

"Aren't you a little young?"

"Not really, not for negotiations."

"Just negotiating, right? No death and dying?"

"No death and dying."

"Okay, good. I've had plenty of that to last me for the rest of my life."

"The car that ordered the hit on George is behind bars."

"Why do I have a feeling we're still not safe?"

"You do?" She nodded. "Okay, I'm not the car to talk to, but I can get you through to the Professor."

"The Zundapp from the Grand Prix party?"

"Yep. He could probably shed some light on a few things."

"What I really wanna do is make Montgomery talk. The prisoners don't know very much, but he knows almost everything about this whole mess."

"You think you can get to Montgomery?"

"I never said that. I just said that if I were going to talk to anybody, it would be him."

"That's...pretty risky. He's in a high-security prison somewhere in Britain."

"So?"

"Okay, forget the prison part. The Grand Prix is next month. Do you really want to endanger yourself, your dad, or anyone on his team?"

"Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"You worry too much."

"I can't help it. I...I mean, you're my..."

"I'm your what?"

"I...you...I..."

"Tongue-tied, I see." Alex nodded. "You know what, maybe we'll save this topic for later."

"Okay, fine by me."

"So, here for the Radiator Springs Grand Prix?"

"I dunno. Is this the fun one?"

"Oh, yeah, and even better. No press, few tourists, just racers here to race."

"So I'm reasonably safe here for a couple days."

"Maybe even longer. It's a little after the end of the tourist season, and they won't be back around for at least three months."

"Shouldn't you be in school?"

"Technically the racing season's not over yet, and besides, school doesn't even start for another couple of weeks."

"Ah."

Lexie glanced at Alex's profile. The setting sun gave him a nice perriwinkle-blue color and seemed to set his green-hazel eyes on fire. He met her gaze, and she looked down into the valley below, colored scarlet and dotted with black shadows. "I'll talk to Finn, and I'm serious about talking to Montgomery. I'll think of a way to get answers out of him. You leave the work to me and relax. Go shopping, or get a new paint job. At the very least buy your granduncle Tubbs a snowglobe."

"Are you sure about this?"

Lexie turned to Alex and nodded resolutely. "C'mon, it's getting late." She drove off toward Radiator Springs, and with a raised eyelid, Alex followed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Lexie waited until she was certain the rest of the town was asleep, slipped out of the Cozy Cone, and drove to Radiator Springs' only working payphone. She asked the operator for Finn McMissile, and after a few rings, Finn said, "I was wondering when someone in that little town would call."

"Where are you right now?" Lexie asked.

"Holley's on her way to Radiator Springs for her break. I'm staying in London for some business."

"Does it have to do with Montgomery?"

"Actually, yes. You're getting better at this sort of thing."

"What about him, exactly? Is he breaking out of prison?"

"He's working on it, and I'm in contact with one of his fellow inmates to monitor him more closely."

"He's planning to break out?"

"Yes. I told them a prison sentence would be too light, but BI leadership is overrun with supporters of his, and most of them won't hear a word of his dangerous nature."

"So he's got cars on his side still?"

"Yes, and personally I find it rather bothersome, if not outright nervewracking."

"So our safest bet is..."

"Not yet. Right now our safest bet is to keep track from a distance. What we learn will determine our course of action."

"Right, got it, last resort business. We're good."

"Good."

"So you're staying there to wait for news as to what Montgomery's doing?"

"Yes, and I'll be sure to let you know anything I find out. Don't be surprised if you hear a voice in your head, because all of us have communication systems that work that way."

"Uh, okay."

"We're going to take care of this."

"Can you?"

"Excuse me?"

"What if he's too powerful and influential for you to deal with and you need some car like me behind you?"

"You mean a Ceres?"

"That was what you called me back in Axle's garage."

"I could tell you were searching for the word, which is, in fact, Ceres."

"Okay. So, what if you need a Ceres behind you?"

"Do you really think you can fight him off, perhaps even..."

Lexie paused. "I dunno," she whispered.

"The only true test of how one will react in a situation is being placed in that exact situation. I'd like to say 'be careful,' but since you handle yourself well, all I'll tell you is to be strong."

"Thanks."

"If anything happens, you'll be the first to know."

"Thanks."

Finn hung up, and Lexie turned to face Route Sixty-Six. The half-moon shone overhead, giving the black pavement a light grey hue. The stars danced, adding their light to the small, dark town as it slept. Lexie let out a sigh and closed her eyes. Monitoring Montgomery's movements wasn't as good as talking to him, but she had a strong feeling Finn would do everything in his power to make sure she stayed as far away from the creep as possible.

She turned and drove back toward the Cozy Cone.

CARS

Within hours, racers from all over the world had driven into Radiator Springs. Francesco drove over to Lightning and Lexie and said, "_Ciao_, McQueen, Mini McQueen."

"Hey, Freakcesco," Lexie replied.

"Hate to say it, but I'm siding with my daughter on that one," Lightning added. "Ready to race?" The two began revving their engines as if to size each other up, and Lexie turned away, closing her eyes and shaking her hood.

"You two have fun. I'll go find a seat." She drove along the track to a natural ledge overlooking Willie's Butte. "Oh, just my luck," she said as she settled in next to Alex.

"I thought you'd be happy to see me," Alex replied.

"I am, but I'm not gonna lie. I'm biased and I think my dad's gonna win." Alex laughed. "I'm serious."

"I know, I know."

"Who's your money on?"

"Nobody. I don't care for a lot of racers, really."

"Is it about the whole we-hate-lemons thing, or is it because most of them are cocky tailpipes?"

"Both, in varying combinations depending on the racer."

Lexie smiled. "Some of them are decent cars."

"I know. I'm glad your dad likes me."

"Well, you chased after me and helped me get out alive. I think that's good enough for him to at least consider."

"Parents' seal of approval is always good."

"Yeah. So, how're those families of yours? Doing well ever since this whole thing started?"

"Yeah."

"Good. At least something is going good."

"What do you mean?"

"I talked to Finn last night over the phone." She summarized her conversation the previous night as well as possible, and when she finished, she said, "So now my plan to talk to Montgomery's up in the air and my suspicions have been proven true. We weren't safe with him behind bars, because he could get out."

"Of a maximum security prison?"

"He's the ex-spy car chief. Whatever he needs to do, he can figure out how to do it, and since he's got supporters within British Intelligence, they could always work to get him out if it ever came to that."

"Look, Lexie, if you need me to-"

"No. This is my fight, and I fully intend to fight it, no matter what happens."

"Okay," Alex whispered, looking down at the track. Lexie watched as the racers came into view, Francesco and Lightning vying for the lead spot as if the entire world were watching. In spite of everything, she chuckled.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Someone knocked on the door to Finn's hotel room, and he answered to the four tuners. "Can we talk?" Boost asked.

"Of course," Finn replied. "Come in."

"Montgomery's still in jail, right?"

"For now. Why?"

"We just think we should apologize for spending seventeen years taking orders from him," Wingo said.

"I've done the same thing you have, for far longer, so what are you apologizing to me for?" The tuners looked at him in surprise. "And I must say, it was your service under Montgomery that allowed us to protect Alexa from him."

"So...what're we doing here?" Boost asked.

"I can't answer that question. Only you can, but I do thank you for stopping by. I was beginning to wonder what happened to you, since you basically dropped off the face of the earth."

"Kinda had to. Who knew how he'd be to us if he knew where we were," DJ said.

"Then we heard he was arrested, so we figured it would be safe for us to settle down somewhere," Wingo added. "It was unanimous between us to find you and apologize and now apparently we don't have to."

Finn nodded. "Boys, I'm glad you came because our adversary is already working on a way to get out of prison. I'm in contact with one of his fellow inmates to monitor his movements."

"So now what?"

"Stay here. As ironic as it sounds, you'll be safest here."

"And if he does break out?" Boost asked.

"Easy. Haul bumper to Radiator Springs, regroup, and then end this."

CARS

Axle wiped off a muffler and set it carefully in its crate. He allowed the rag to fall to the floor and he turned to drive back to his apartment in the back of the garage. He drove into his living room and switched the television on before settling into the chair. Aside from the usual murders, arsons, burglaries, and carnappings, nothing too terribly interesting was happening. He muttered, "Let me know when there's world peace," and changed the channel.

"Wouldn't that be nice, huh?" Torque's voice asked beside him, though Axle could've sworn there was nothing there. However, when he looked to his right, his brother's semi-transparent ghost was idling beside him.

"I think I'll give up on thinking I'm crazy."

"'Bout time."

"So what bad news do you bear this time?"

"Chrysler, can't a ghost drop by the realm of the living to say 'hi'?"

"You said Axlerod's employer was your unfinished business, and wasn't he just arrested?" Torque nodded. "So why didn't you move on?"

"I've gotta see this through, and besides, I think something's about to go wrong. There's more to this than what you saw on the nightly news."

"Kinda figured. He doesn't look like a restaurant owner to me."

"He's not."

Axle nodded. "Spy ring run by ghosts. Welcome to the new normal."

"Still as snarky as ever, I see. Now look, Montgomery's ex-chief of CHROME Britain, and he's about to break out of jail. As always, keep an eye out for anything unusual, and if this girl Alexa shows up, you know what to do."

"Okay."

Torque winked and disappeared. Axle changed the channel again, shifting his position nad settling in to watch something about-ironically-ghosts.

CARS

Lexie scanned Radiator Springs for what had to be the twenty-second time, but she never counted. As it had been the previous multitude of times she checked, everything was moving along as racers cleared out and things returned to normal. "_Ciao_, Mini McQueen," Francesco said as he parked next to her.

"Hey," she replied. "Get shamed by my dad again?"

"Francesco is never shamed. Besides, it was a tie."

"Oh. I heard the Grand Prix is back on next month, which gives you a built-in tie-breaker."

"It is about a-time. No season is a-complete without the a-Grand Prix."

"True that." Lexie nodded and then scanned the town again. Everything seemed normal, so she couldn't figure out why she felt so nervous all of a sudden. She shook her hood and pushed the thoughts from her mind.

CARS

Finn examined the envelope under his tire, postmarked from the prison. The top edge had been taped, indicating that it had been opened, examined, and closed again for delivery. He glanced around the dimly lit hotel room, and while the tuners were asleep in a corner, he was certain no one else had eyes or ears inside the room. He opened the envelope and removed the letter.

'_McMissile,_

'_The day is upon us. I overheard it myself, straight from Montgomery's bumper. When the lights go out, they go out all over London._'

He set the letter down without finishing it and glanced at the tuners again. He'd heard of something like what Axlerod had described before, but it seemed so outlandish at the time that he thought almost nothing of it. Now it was happening, or that was the rumor Montgomery tried to spread to cover his tracks. Finn wouldn't put it past his ex-chief to lie like that.

The lamp over the sink next to the door flickered for over a minute and then went out, plunging the room into darkness. Finn drove over to the window and peered outside. London was blanketed in darkness, and Finn was certain that in this instance Montgomery had kept to his word. He turned and drove out of the hotel room, down the ramp, and out through the front doors. He turned left and scanned the street. Cars gathered in clusters with their headlights on, some looking in, some out, and exchanged whispers, undoubtedly about the power outage. He turned right and spotted the prison by sheer virtue of the cars fleeing it and the other cars trying to stop them. Finn wove through the mess to the side of Damien deAngelo, who was searching the crowd of prisoners. "Montgomery wouldn't have come out this way," he said.

"I know," deAngelo replied.

"I'll probably send the tuners to a safehouse. Any recommendations?"

"Can they speak French?"

"I'm not sure. Montgomery could've sent them anywhere in the seventeen years since they slipped from my tires into his."

"I'll make the arrangements. I believe you have some news to deliver to a few friends of yours?"

"Yes, I do, but I can take care of several things at once."

The two cars continued to weave through the crowd, and among the prisoners, Finn spotted Axlerod, who rushed over to them. "Did you get the message?" he asked in a low voice.

"Loud and clear," Finn replied. "I have to say I'm impressed. I'm not sure I would've thought of a prison break like this."

"What would you be doing in prison?" deAngelo asked.

"Ask Montgomery." Finn looked at Axlerod. "If Montgomery finds out what you did for me, you won't be safe." He returned his attention to deAngelo. "Should we send him with them?" deAngelo nodded, and Finn looked back at Axlerod. "Don't be surprised by the next few minutes. There's already chaos in the streets, so our sudden movements shouldn't surprise you."

"Okay," Axlerod said. "Now what?"

Finn glanced at deAngelo, who nodded, and he nodded to Axlerod. "We're going. Come with us. It's too dangerous for you here."

Axlerod looked uncertainly between the two cars and then slipped between Finn, in front, and deAngelo, in back, as they drove through the darkened London streets. Finn called Siddeley, asking for a ride and recieving an address. He led the way through the streets to the address, watching for anything dangerous.

Siddeley dropped the loading ramp into the abandoned parking lot and the three cars filed onboard. "Paris, if you would," Finn said.

"Can do," Siddeley replied, banking a little to the right.

CARS

Tomber pushed the last of boxes into place and then adjusted the hoods for the last time that day, and then he heard a knock on the door. "_Maudit_," he whispered, rolling over and all but pulverizing the button that opened the door. His eyes widened at the sight, and he whispered, "_Mon dieu_."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Finn led Axlerod and deAngelo into the shop, and Tomber shifted between studying his strange guests to staring off into space. "Tomber?" Finn asked, waving a tire in front of his face. After a moment, he tapped gently on the French car's hood, and Tomber jumped and shot backward, launching into a string of questions. "Tomber, easy," Finn said, and the Reliant Regal fell silent. Finn explained in French that there was a prison break and he and deAngelo were trying to protect their informant Axlerod from one of the other escapees.

Tomber nodded. "_Oui_," he said. "Your informant can stay here with me, but if I start hiding others, the cars around here will talk."

"I understand."

"Now, Finn, it is late. If you want to-"

"No. I need to find alternate arrangements for a few other cars under my watch."

"Oh, _oui oui_. _Bien_. Good luck."

"Thank you."

Tomber glanced at deAngelo. "Beats _monseur_ Montgomery, but he still smells like new car."

deAngelo gave Tomber a slightly confused once-over and then turned to Finn. "Perhaps we should get going. We do have other matters to attend to."

Finn nodded to deAngelo. "Right." He turned to Tomber and said, "We'll be off now." With that, he and deAngelo drove out of the shop, leaving Axlerod in Tomber's custody. Tomber closed the door, drove to the corner of the shop, settled in, and fell asleep.

CARS

Holley smiled as she followed the winding Route Sixty-Six, and then her onboard phone rang. "What are your recommendations for restaurants in Los Angeles?" she asked.

"Somewhere crowded, with a number of exits," Finn replied. "If I were you, I'd be sure to get out well before the lights go out."

"And what if I sought to choose a hotel?"

"Also somewhere crowded, perhaps moreso. I wouldn't recommend a casino, but I would recommend something near our friend's repair shop."

"Finn, in four sentences, you've told me more than anyone else ever could."

"Well, thank you, and if you want a new paint job, I hear retro is in."

"Good to know."

Holley hung up, and the instant she crossed the town limit of Radiator Springs, Mater shouted, "Howdy, Miss Holley."

"Hello, Mater," she replied cheerily, though her gas tank was moments away from betraying her.

"I was wonderin' when you'd show up. How you been?"

Holley looked around, inched closer to him, and whispered, "There's been a jailbreak in London. Montgomery shorted the power grid so he and his allies could escape, but he let Finn's informant out, as well, as well as the other prisoners. The tuners are going to be relocated to a Los Angeles safehouse, and the informant is in Paris."

"He told you all that?"

"More or less."

"So whaddawe do?"

"Wait."

"For Finn?"

"That or something bad to happen." As they approached the cafe, she added, "Be careful, Mater."

"Shoot, I'm known for bein' careful."

"I'm not so sure. I'd be much more watchful if I were you."

Mater nodded and adopted a pseudo-creepy stare into space that made Holley back away slightly and turn to the right. She looked back at Mater to find that he'd relaxed, and then she drove over to the Cozy Cone for a cone.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Axle answered the knock on his door, expecting a tuner needing a repair or some new lighting to go with the latest paint job. What he found was not one tuner, but four, accompanied by Finn McMissile and a lime green racer he didn't recognize. "Take it you need to hide these cars?" he asked Finn.

"Just the tuners. They're not safe in London," Finn replied.

Axle gestured to the lime green racer "Who's this other car, then?"

"I'm his escort," the car replied in a light English voice. Axle almost thought the racer had no accent whatsoever.

"His escort, huh? What's he need an escort for?"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures."

"How bad is it?"

"It's finally happened," a voice in the garage said. "Didn't Rod warn you?" Axle turned toward his dimly lit garage and sighed, closing his eyes. His six guests drove into the garage, and Leland Turbo's semi-transparent form appeared toward the back. "I swear," he said. "You've got to be six different kinds of stupid."

"What're you raggin' me for?" Axle snapped. "It's not like my brother said, 'Oh, by the way, Montgomery's some psycho who's gonna try to kill you'." Finn and deAngelo exchanged looks, and the tuners looked at Axle, who turned toward the group. "By the way, I'd like you to meet one of my resident ghosts."

"Leland," Finn said gravely, his gaze fixed on the red sportscar. "Leland Turbo."

"Actually it's nice to know I'm not the only one seeing these things."

"Oookay," Boost said, backing up.

"Wanna meet the other one?" another voice asked. A dark blue Dodge Challenger drove out of the mirror and approached the group. deAngelo fainted, and the tuners huddled together, facing outward in something of a circle.

"What's going on?" Snot Rod asked, panic seeping into his voice.

"Easy, Snotty, easy," Wingo replied. "Lots of weird shit's been happening lately, so why not have ghosts?"

"It could be worse," the Challenger said. "We could be Grem and Acer."

Finn found himself cracking a smirk. "That would be bad," he replied, turning toward the Challenger. "You must be Rod Redline, I take it."

"The one and only."

"Can't you just drop us off here and be done with it?" DJ asked.

"Well, we have to wait for deAngelo to wake up," Finn said. "Then we'll leave."

"Now that you've met the resident ghosts, there's a guest room in the back. Should be fairly easy to find," Axle said. The four tuners nodded and drove to the back of the garage, leaving Finn, Axle, an unconscious deAngelo, Torque, and Leland in the garage proper.

Finn closed his eyes and turned away. "I'll be outside," he said. "Let me know when he wakes up." He drove down the ramp into the street, and Axle looked to Leland and Torque.

"That might've been a little much," he said, narrowing his eyes. The two ghosts exchanged looks, both seeming to accuse each other, and Axle drove into the kitchen.

CARS

deAngelo drove out of the garage, and he and Finn made their way through the streets of Los Angeles. "You are on your own, Finn," deAngelo said. "I don't have the oil pressure to deal with all of this."

"And you think I like seeing two agents I couldn't save?" Finn replied. "Especially Leland." He looked away, his voice falling to a whisper. With a sigh, he looked up and added, "The point is, deAngelo, that this is such a shock to both of us that I fail to see the point of your argument. If you wish to leave me here, that's perfectly fine, but I'll be out of Los Angeles before you're thirty thousand meters above it."

"You're going to leave four rookie agents in the custody of a car who runs a haunted garage?"

"I know our tuners are in good tires."

"And what of you? Where will you go? You can't run from ghosts."

"I didn't know I needed to run from ghosts."

"Even so, where will you go?"

"If I tell you, someone else will find out some way. You should know that better than anyone else."

deAngelo nodded. "So be it," he said. "So be it." He turned a corner, setting a course for LAX, and Finn drove toward Route Sixty-Six.

CARS

Lexie settled into her bed and closed her eyes, but a strange feeling kept her awake. She glanced at her dad and then drove out of the cone and into the neon-lit Radiator Springs. Mater and Holley were just driving into a town, presumably after a movie or evening spent tractor tipping. She met them under the roof at the V8 Cafe and asked to speak to Holley alone.

Lexie led Holley into an abandoned building just beyond the edge of town and asked, "What happened?"

"How do you know something happened?" Holley replied.

"Gut feeling. I get those a lot, and usually they're right."

Holley looked around and rolled closer to her. "There's been a jailbreak last night in London."

"Montgomery escaped?" Holley nodded. "What happens to us now?"

"I don't know, but I do know that Finn's keeping both the tuner agents and our jailhouse informant safe, with mechanics, no less."

Lexie closed her eyes and shook her hood. "Montgomery's out of jail. I knew there was a reason I didn't feel safe." She licked her lip. "What do we do?" she wimpered, looking at Holley.

Holley shook her hood and then rolled even closer to her. "Tell Alex. Talk to him about this. He can help you."

Lexie nodded. "Tomorrow," she said. "Tomorrow."

"Agreed."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"What?" Alex asked, jerking back from a quart of oil.

Lexie rolled her eyes. "Do you really want me to tell you again? I just spent fifteen minutes on the whole story the first time, and by the time I finish another telling, everyone else in this town will know exactly what happened last night."

"No, I know what you said, but how the hell could he break out of a maximum security prison?"

"Kill the power. How else? And keep your voice down. I can't believe I have to repeat myself."

"I'm in shock, okay?"

"Didn't I tell you I didn't feel safe?"

"Yes, but I didn't expect this at all."

"Holy Ford. Will you calm down? Cars will talk, and besides, you're not the only one who's freaking out. Montgomery is specifically out to get me, and not in some paranoid freakazoid way. He's literally after me, and only he knows exactly why."

"We need a solution, though. Did Holley give you a suggestion?"

"No."

"Okay, look, I can get the word out to the Four Families and the Professor. They'll be all over it. We already have guys all over, so he's gonna have a hard time gettin' away from us."

"You can do that?"

Alex nodded. "That's my job."

"Okay."

"I'm gonna have to do a little traveling, because I know they wanna hear this news in person, so you're probably not gonna see or hear from me for a while. If anything happens, call the nearest operator and ask for me personally. They'll patch you through somehow." Lexie nodded.

"You should probably leave as soon as possible. This is pretty important." Alex nodded again.

"Guess I better gas up, then."

Lexie watched him fill his tank, finish his quart of oil, pay his tab, and wave goodbye. Then he turned around and drove toward Los Angeles. She took a deep breath and turned away, simultaneously fighting and puzzling over the strange pain she felt.

CARS

"Hey, look who's here," a black Pacer said, giving Alex a high-tire as he drove into the foyer.

"We were wondering when you'd get back," a bright green Pacer added.

"I can't stay long. I'm sort of on a mission right now," Alex said. "The Boss home?"

"Yeah, I think so," the black Pacer replied, leading Alex down the foyer. He knocked on a door, and another black Pacer answered.

"He here to see the Boss?" he said.

"Yeah."

The Pacer who opened the door gestured for Alex to enter, and he closed the door behind him. "'Bout time you got back," Tubbs said as he drove out from behind the desk. "I was about to send a search party." He patted Alex on the fender. "So, how are ya?"

"Personally, pretty good, but I do bear bad news." Immediately Tubbs gestured for the other Pacers to leave, shutting the door behind them himself. When he looked back at Alex, his eyes were grave and his mouth was set in a line. He nodded for Alex to continue. "Montgomery's out of jail."

"What?"

"He busted free, we're guessing by messing with the power grid, which would've let all the other prisoners out."

"Axlerod?"

"Was he in the same jail?"

"Not sure. You got a plan?"

"Yeah."

"Whaddaya need."

"A ride."

CARS

Axle and the tuners gathered in the kitchen. "So, you got ghosts?" Boost asked.

"Yep," Axle replied. "Just two, though. Leland and Torque, Torque more frequently."

"That's nuts," Wingo said.

"I thought so, too, at first. It's just something you get used to."

The tuners exchanged looks, and DJ asked, "Okay, so why are we here?"

Axle shrugged. "Finn's got his reasons, I'm sure. I know Torque woulda trusted him, which is a lot more than I can say for a hell of a lot of others."

"I can see that. So what happens to us now?"

"I dunno. Probably classified, anyway, so there's no point in asking, really." DJ nodded and drifted back slightly. "Cider?"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

The helicopter touched down on the landing pad atop a four-story building, and Alex was escorted off by a pair of Pacers. The Pacers pulled to the side as Gremlins took over this role, and he was led down a ramp to the ground floor and to a meeting room in the back of the building. A Gremlin opened the door, and Alex was escorted into the room.

Along the table were seven Gremlins, among them J. Curby, positioned at the head of the table. "Alex? What's Tubbs want this time?" he asked.

"I'm not here to negotiate for my granduncle," Alex replied, nodding to Curby. With a deep breath, he said, "Montgomery's out of jail."

Everyone in the room seemed to gasp at once, and all eyes were on Alex, as if expecting him to continue. The Pacer shook his head, closed his eyes, and turned away slightly. "Say that again," Curby said.

"Montgomery's out of jail," Alex said, looking up at Curby. "He arranged a breakout, presumably by shorting the power grid and causing the doors to open. I don't know where he is now, but it's not behind bars."

Curby gave Alex a once-over. "You gonna tell the other heads of the Four Families?"

"That's my plan."

"What're you gonna do after that?"

"I'm hoping to get word to the Professor."

"And after that happens."

"I hadn't thought that far ahead."

"Okay, look, you keep spreading the word, and I'll call a meeting." Alex nodded, and Curby gestured to a couple of Gremlins. "Make sure he gets to his helicopter." The Gremlins nodded and led Alex out of the room. They were joined by the two Gremlins outside the door, and as a group, they crossed the room to the ramp. The Gremlins drove to the side, and Alex boarded the helicopter with the Pacers who waited for him.

"Where to next?" the helicopter asked.

"Porto Corsa," Alex replied.

CARS

"Alright, Dad, you sure you wanna do the Grand Prix again?" Lexie asked. Lightning nodded.

"Yeah, I'm sure," he said. "Of course, you'll have to go to school."

"I know, Dad."

"Be sure to wear the team's colors, okay?"

"Okay, will do."

Lightning chuckled and shook his hood. Lexie sipped from a quart of oil and then looked around Radiator Springs at the clusters of residents who engaged in small talk, and why not? With the arrest of Montgomery, the case that had gripped the town had seemed resolved.

Of course, she hadn't told anyone outside of Alex what Holley had told her over twenty-four hours prior, and it did her more good to keep the secret rather than scream it from the rooftops.

Holley met Lexie's gaze and drove over to her. "Hello," she said.

"Hey. How's Mater?" Lexie replied.

"He's well. He had to give his friend Otis a tow. Got half-way to the county line again, but no further."

"Sounds like Otis. He's got a bumper sticker at Lizzie's old place that says 'Keep on Truckin'' with his name all over it."

Holley chuckled and turned to Lightning. "Are you going to the Grand Prix this year?"

"Why not?" he replied. "Aside from those two times, it's been great."

"Good."

"Everything okay?"

"Well..." Holley looked at Lexie, who nodded. With a deep breath, she said, "There's been a problem."

"What...kind of problem?"

She lowered her voice. "Montgomery's broken out of prison. He cut the power and set everyone else free, including an informant of ours who monitored his plans for us."

"Informant? What informant?"

"I can't tell you who, largely because Finn didn't express to me that information. However, the informant is not our issue. Montgomery is, and he could be anywhere by now."

Lexie turned to her father and added, "I told Alex after she told me, and he went to go tell some others who might be able to help."

"That's where he went?" Lightning asked, and Lexie nodded.

He looked at Holley, who said, "I'd have done the same thing, or I would've helped protect our informant, or a few other agents, as Finn has done. I just wasn't sure if Alex could trust me the way he trusts Alexa."

"He obviously trusted your information."

"Yeah, he did," Lexie said. "Probably because he could be certain I was telling the truth."

"Okay, I don't think we should stop talking about the accuracy of information right now. We should be planning, trying to figure out what we should do, making sure everybody's safe."

"I'm certain Alexa can handle herself," Holley replied. "Since she's the target, you and your team should be safe, unless he attempts to use you to get to her."

"Then what?"

"As a precaution, I will go with you in Alexa's place, if that's alright, of course."

Lightning blinked and raised an eyelid. "Yeah, okay, I guess. It should be. I don't see anything wrong with that." Holley smiled and nodded, and Lexie did the same, exchanging a look with the purple spy car and then looking at Lightning. "I've got a few minor details to work out, and then we'll be good to go."

"Great."

"Fine by me," Lexie said.

CARS

Finn drove into Radiator Springs as the neon lights switched on in the fading twilight. "I assume everything went well," Holley said when he pulled into the cafe.

"Of all the things to happen ever since last night, that was the only thing went right," Finn replied.

"Excellent. I'll be travelling with Team McQueen in Alexa's place as a precaution."

"Good."

"So, how was your drive?"

"Quite pleasurable. Some day when we have some time off, we should travel along the Mother Road for no other reason than to drive."

"That's a possibility, but you must be aware that I am in a steady relationship."

Finn chuckled. "A car like you? I'd like to meet this lucky gentlecar."

"Shoot, you already know me, Finn," Mater said, and Finn laughed softly.

"Nice to know you still have a sense of humor," Holley said.

"What? Did you think I was too old?" Finn asked, feigning annoyance.

"Actually, yes."

"I'm getting you for this, Shiftwell, but not now. My old axles have been on the road too long."

Holley rolled her eyes and said, "Oh, shut up."

Finn scanned the town and asked, "Where's the Pacer boy?"

"Presumably gone to tell the heads of the Four Families about Montgomery's escape."

"Who done what now?" Mater asked.

"Alex has gone to tell some important lemons that Montgomery's broken out of prison," Finn replied.

"Oh. That good or bad?"

"For us, good. For Montgomery, not so good. The heads of the Four Families have cars all over the globe on various operations, ready at a moment's notice to move on to something else, in this case seizing Montgomery and making sure he stays in custody."

Mater blinked, and Holley said, "We're trying to catch and keep a bad guy."

"I get that part, but why're you talkin' to the lemons? Didn't they try to kill ya?"

"That part doesn't matter anymore," Finn said. "We all have a common enemy, and if I know the Professor, I know he won't risk losing anyone he needs alive."

"Kind of a tall order, don'tcha think?"

"Kind of, yes, but I've been through worse."

Mater nodded. "So what happens when you get him?"

"That depends on how much of a fight he puts up. He could end up dead if he's not careful. We're dealing with hardened killers here."

"Either way it works out for us," Holley added. "There will be no threat of Lexie falling into enemy tires and being forced to carry out his nefarious plans."

Mater looked from Holley to Finn and back again. "You sure about that?"

"More certain than if Montgomery were allowed to roam free," Finn replied.

"Uh...okay?"

"We don't expect you to have a major role in this," Holley said to Mater. "You don't have to deal with this. All we ask of you is that you let us know if anything happens to Alexa or the rest of Team McQueen, which should be easier now because I'm going with you instead of her."

"Oh. Well, I can do that."

Holley smiled. "Excellent."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Lexie dialled a number on the pay phone, and Alex answered with, "Howdy, stranger."

"Hey, mob car," Lexie replied. "How's your informing spree going?"

"On my way to the other side of the world to talk to Trunkov and Hugo. Curby Gremlin's gonna call a meeting, so I'll have to let him know when I tell them."

"Then what?"

"Expect a call from one of the heads of the Four Families, since they're gonna ask me who told me that Montgomery's free."

"A couple weeks and I'll be back at school."

"I know, but these aren't cars you typically refuse."

"Then I'll know exactly who to blame if I need to do six hours worth of catch-up work."

"I thought the first couple weeks of senior year were easy."

"That's not gonna stop my mom."

"True that."

"Okay, look, call me when the meeting starts, and let me know if you need me. I'll do the rest of the planning, and I'll get back to you, hopefully with a good response. How's that sound?"

"That's what we like to hear, or the best we can expect, I should say."

"That's the best I can give you, Alex. That's the way it is."

"I know. You've got a nice legit life going for you."

"I hope I can keep it that way."

"So do I."

CARS

Axlerod peered out around a rack of hoods at Tomber as he worked on a patient with whom he conversed in French. Axlerod's eyes darted to the front door every few seconds, and after he returned his attention to Tomber for what had to be the twentieth time in two minutes, gunshots rang out in the distance. Tomber hustled his patient into a secret hideout and then turned to face the door. Axlerod slipped deeper into the shadows.

Ten minutes after the shots died down, Tomber opened the door and rolled outside, exchanging phrases with a few other merchants about the shooting. He rolled back inside his shop and nodded. "It's safe," he said. Axlerod followed Tomber down the street, going with the flow of other curious merchants. At the edge of the marketplace, a small, gittery teal Sedan looked around at the crowd.

"What happened?" Tomber asked in French.

"I...I d-d-don't..." the Sedan began.

"Shh, shh. Who was shooting? Can you tell us that?"

The Sedan shook his hood. "Never seen them before," he managed before disappearing into an alley in the marketplace. Tomber nodded and then turned to Axlerod, to whom he translated and summarized the exchange. Axlerod scanned the merchants, who began to gossip anxiously amongst themselves.

"Come with me," Tomber said, turning and driving back to his shop. Unsure of what else to do, Axlerod followed. When he reached the shop, he found Tomber exchanging hurried French words with someone Axlerod assumed was Finn. The French Reliant Regal hung up and turned to Axlerod. "Finn is on his way to pick you up," he said. "It's no longer safe for you here."

"Where am I going next?"

"I cannot say. Finn wouldn't tell me. I can understand, though. If your enemies catch me, I cannot tell you where you are being hidden, no matter what they do to me. I'll still come up with a bullshit story. I have to."

"Will it save your life?"

"Most likely. I know it will save yours?"

"Why do you care about me? I'm a complete and utter shmuck."

"And you're my best customer. Besides, I am doing a favor for Finn."

"I take it you're close."

"In a way." Tomber rolled closer to Axlerod. "Listen to me, and listen closely. You need to hide. Don't come out, ever, not even when I do not have customers or patients. Hide, and don't come out until I tell you to. Do you understand?" Axlerod nodded. "Good, now pick a place and don't tell me about it." Axlerod nodded again, and Tomber called his patient out of his hiding place to resume work on him. Axlerod ducked behind a small rack and peered out from around the corner, wondering what could come through that door next.

CARS

"Siddeley, I've got a job for you," Finn said over the communication system.

"On my way," Siddeley replied.

"Where are you going?" Holley asked.

"Paris," Finn replied.

"What happened? Is the informant safe?"

"Yes, but not for long. There's been a shooting. I really must be off as soon as possible."

"Is everything alright?"

"Dear Dodge, I hope so."

Holley slipped back, and she noticed that Finn slowed slightly. Siddeley appeared on the horizon, circling into a landing out in the desert. "Do you want me to stay here?" Holley asked.

Finn sighed and turned toward her. "Yes," he whispered. "Not only for your safety, but for Alexa's as well." She nodded, and he drove toward the plane.

Siddeley lowered his ramp, and Finn boarded effortlessly. Two seconds later, the plane was gaining altitude. "Where do you intend to take your informant?" Siddeley asked over the intercom.

"I'm not sure yet," Finn replied. "He'll be safe in Radiator Springs, for now, but when tourism season starts, we'll have to find something else. Someone is bound to recognize him."

"Someone's bound to recognize him anyway."

"I know."

"Don't you worry, sir. Your informant will be in good tires. I'm sure of it."

"Thank you, Sid." Finn's gaze drifted out the window as Siddeley fired his afterburners. The desert soon gave way to the plains of the Midwest.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Tomber was startled awake by a knock at the door, and he rushed over and shook Axlerod awake as best he could with only three wheels. "Huh? What?" Axlerod grumbled. "What's going on?"

"Be ready to run, either toward or away," Tomber said. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, yes, I understand."

"Good."

Axlerod followed Tomber to the area closest to the front door, typically reserved for Tomber's repairs. The Reliant Regal opened the door, and Finn rushed inside, giving once-overs to first Axlerod and then Tomber. Tomber and Finn exchanged phrases in French, and Finn nodded. "Axlerod, come with me," Finn said. "Tomber, I'll be in touch."

Axlerod followed Finn out of Tomber's shop and through the marketplace, down a few streets, and to an abandoned airfield, or officially abandoned. Parked in the field was a solitary plane. Finn and Axlerod drove through an opening in the fence and approached the plane.

Finn nodded to the plane, who lowered his ramp, and the two cars boarded. "I'll take you to an isolated location for your safekeeping, but through the nature of circumstances as they are, I will have to relocate you before too long to prevent our enemies from finding you. If you feel the need to, you may assume a new name, a new identity, and start fresh. Quite frankly, I recommend it, and the practice has had a remarkable track record in the United States and elsewhere."

"But where will I go where no one will recognize me?" Axlerod asked.

"That's a trickier matter, I admit, but I have come across some towns with no access to television, radio, or very much news of any sort. I think I can find you one where all you have to do is introduce yourself under an alias that you can remember, and you can start a whole new life. Job and everything. Of course, regarding the job, you'll have to start at the bottom, and it won't pay as well as the oil business-"

"I don't want anything to do with the oil business."

"Excellent. When we relocate you for good, you could clean rooms in a hotel or wait tables at a small-scale restaurant. As far as I know, you won't have to deal with the oil business very much."

"Good."

"Are you clear on the rules of what we're about to do to you?"

"Yes."

"Can you follow them? I understand you were once a public figure."

"That was almost two decades ago. I'm sure people had forgotten about me in the interim. And other than that little slip-up with Montgomery where he wanted me to distract from something, I never did figure out what, I would consider myself a good car."

"We're not sure of what Montgomery wanted; even if we guessed, we could never say for certain."

"Say you did have to guess. What would you say?"

"Superspy car."

"How would that require a distraction?"

"He needed some way to get Holley and I out of HQ so we wouldn't pick up on anything suspicious."

"So I only played a small part in his scheme."

"Does that make you feel strange?"

"No. It kind of reminds me of how I felt in prison. A number who, regardless of his part in a grander scheme, killed. You get used to that feeling after a while."

Finn nodded and looked out the window as Europe gave way to the Atlantic Ocean.

CARS

The helicopter landed in Porto Corsa, and Alex disembarked. He spotted a few Hugos in the square and approached cautiously. One of them gave him a once-over and met him half-way across the square. "Alex Pacer?" the Hugo asked.

Alex nodded. "Alex Hugo?" he asked in reply. Hugo nodded. "I've got something I think your boss wants to hear."

"Oh? Who sent you?"

"Me. This is a voluntary mission, and I'm not under orders from any of the others."

"What've you got for us?" After a pause, Hugo said, "I'll pass it on to the Boss, I promise."

Alex glanced around the square, but no one but the Hugos appeared to watch them closely. "Montgomery busted out of jail and disappeared," Alex said.

"Okay, kid, come with us." Hugo led Alex to the cluster of other Hugos, and they circled around him. The circle of Hugos and one Pacer drove into one of the buildings on the edge of the square, and Alex Hugo led Alex Pacer across the foyer to a office in the back of the building. Hugo exchanged a few words with Ivan, and Victor said from the other side of the desk, "Let me see the Pacer child." Alex drove forward, and Victor turned the chair around to face him. "I know that look. You bear bad news."

Alex Hugo moved to say something, but Victor held up a tire to stop him. "I want to hear this from young Pacer," he said, nodding to Alex Pacer.

"Montgomery's out of jail and nowhere to be found," Alex said. Victor raised an eyelid, and his mouth hing slightly open.

"Excuse me?" he whispered.

Alex blinked. He didn't remember Victor Hugo ever being afraid, but in that whisper he heard more fear than he ever heard before, from anyone. "M-Montgomery busted out of jail," he said again. "Nobody knows where he is right now."

"Who have you told?" Victor asked; he seemed to have recovered himself.

"Everyone but Trunkov. Curby plans to hold a meeting."

"I was going to do the same thing, but I appreciate someone else taking the initiative. Now, you still need to inform Trunkov, yes?"

"Yes, sir."

"I will escort you myself. Ivan. Alex."

The blue tow truck looped his hook effortlessly under Victor's front axle, and Alex Hugo and a troop of other black Hugos circled around Victor and Alex Pacer. The group drove out of the meeting room and out a back door, down a side street, around a corner, and down another side street.

After a few minutes, Alex Hugo tapped on a door in a specific manner, and a Trunkov opened the door and nodded for them to enter. They drove into the dimly lit building, and a few more Trunkovs appeared out of the shadows. "What a surprise," one of the Trunkovs, Vladimir, said. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Don Victor?"

"We have a situation," Victor replied. He turned to Alex Pacer and prompted, "Young Pacer?"

"Montgomery's out of jail," Alex said.

"What?" Vladimir asked. Alex repeated what he said, and Vladimir seemed to turn white and teeter on the edge of losing consciousness. Two of the Trunkovs prepared to catch him if he fell, and Alex watched closely. Finally, it seemed Vladimir had recovered himself, and he asked, "Who's calling the meeting?"

"Curby."

"Okay, good. You got a lift outta here?"

"Yeah."

"Whaddaya say, Don Victor?"

"I say we leave as soon as possible," Victor said.

"So what're we doing idling around here? Let's go."

Ivan pulled Victor out of the building, followed closely by Vladimir Trunkov and the Hugos. Alex took up the rear, half his time spent checking his mirrors for pursuers. The group of lemons boarded the helicopter, and Alex gave orders to fly back to Detroit.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Lexie could feel Sarge's disgust emanate from him as Finn escourted Axlerod into Radiator Springs, and something about the situation itself made her nervous. At the first available opportunity, she pulled Finn aside and asked him about it. "There's been a shootout in the Marche Aux Pieces, in Paris. So far as I can judge, no one's been hurt, but Axlerod is no longer safe," he said in a low voice. "I'd love to stay, but I have to go check on the others I've placed under protection."

"I think Axlerod's only real problem right now is Sarge," Lexie replied, glancing at the Jeep as he scrutinized the Land Rover.

"If anything happens, call me."

"No problem."

Finn turned to exchange a few words with Axlerod and then drove out of Radiator Springs, I pulled in next to Sarge and hissed, "I don't care who you are. Finn told me to take care of him, so if he gets hit by lightning, I will blame someone."

"What? You think I'd do something stupid?" Sarge asked.

"Someone will, I know that much." Without waiting for Sarge's response, Lexie drove up to Axlerod. "There must be a good reason you're under protection," she said in a low voice. "What is it?"

"I'm a prison informant," Axlerod said.

"You were Finn's rat on Montgomery?"

"The very same. I take it you've heard."

"From Finn and Holley. So, what spiel have you been given?"

"Basically that I'll need a new identity and I'll have to get a new job somewhere."

"Remember, that's if you live long enough to get relocated. Montgomery killed one of his own personal agents out in this desert, and he hung the body on the cable."

"Really?"

"Yep, and if he finds out you're here, you could be next." Axlerod turned a lighter shade of green, but green nonetheless. "If you're gonna chuck, do it in the desert." Axlerod swallowed, and some of his normal color returned. "Guess that's a no, then. There's a vacancy at the Wheel Well, so my mom's the car to talk to about that."

"And who would that be?"

"The blue Porsche at the Cozy Cone."

"The motel full of traffic cones? How ironic."

"Don't mention that to Mom."

"I won't."

"Good luck, Axlerod."

"Thank you."

She looked back at him, to find him smiling at her. "Let's find you a room," she said.

CARS

Axle drove into the garage proper, where the tuners waited, lingering near the back and watching the front door. "What happened?" he asked.

"Got a call from Finn," Boost replied. "Shootout in Paris."

"Everybody okay?"

"Yeah, as far as I know. I mean, I haven't heard anything about anybody dyin'."

"Okay, that's good, but you guys do look kinda freaky idling in the middle of my garage staring at the front door."

"Maybe we do, maybe we don't, but Finn's gonna be here any minute." Snot Rod sneezed, and the others jerked out of the way as flames shot out of his side exhaust pipes. "We gotta be ready to go, because Montgomery's on the loose, and he could even be here."

"Okay, I get it, but you cars be careful, okay? Things could get real ugly real fast." The tuners nodded. Someone knocked on Axle's garage, and he added, "Kids, it doesn't matter to a tailpipe like Montgomery how tough you think you are. He's gonna kill you on sight if he even thinks you know something about where the Ceres is hiding. You gotta be careful." The four nodded again, and Axle opened the door.

Finn zipped inside and shut the door behind him. "I'd say you look like you've seen a ghost, but I don't think it sounds right right about now," Wingo said.

"We don't have time for any small talk," Finn said. "Montgomery could be anywhere, even here. We have to find you somewhere else to go. I can get you as far as Radiator Springs, but even then I'm not sure."

"Apparently Radiator Springs is a mecca for witness protection," Boost said wryly.

"Apparently. Anyway, we need to go, before anything horrible happens to any of you."

The four tuners exchanged looks and then looked at Axle, who nodded and said, "Better go."

"Okay," Boost said. The four filed out of the garage after Finn, and together, they turned and drove out of Los Angeles.

CARS

Alex peeked out of the window as Hugos, Trunkovs, and Gremlins secured Curby's designated meeting house for the night. Detroit was dark save the occasional lights of the skyscraper operating on the night shift. He looked over his fender at Alex Hugo. "How's your boss?" Alex asked.

"Settling in better than expected," Hugo replied. "He has bad flight troubles sometimes and needs to start breathing into a paper bag. I'm kinda surprised he held out as well as he did."

"Really?"

Hugo drove closer and whispered, "Don't tell anybody this, but we're all silently waiting for him to die."

"Your secret's safe with me, Hugo."

"Thanks, Pacer."

Hugo gave Alex a high tire, and they looked out the window as cars coming home from their late and evening shifts, or driving to such shifts, depending on the company the cars happened to work for. "Uncle Tubbs should be here tomorrow."

"Take it you're close to your boss."

"He's my granduncle, the only dad I've ever really had. Of course we'd be close."

Hugo nodded, then he asked, "What about Acer?"

"I don't like to talk about it."

Hugo nodded again. "We all gotta have secrets in this business, that's for sure."

"Truest thing in the world, outside of lemons needing parts."

"Whadda you know about that? When was the last time you broke down?"

"I know so much about it because I'm the family freak. I can't remember the last time I broke down. The earliest memories I have are of when I was sick."

"Dude, you are weird."

Something moved in the shadows, and Alex held up a tire to stop Hugo from saying anything. He drove closer to the window and peered into the shadows, trying to make out the shape. Hugo moved closer and then looked at Alex with a raised eyelid.

The shadow moved into the beam of a streetlight, and both Alex and Hugo shot back. Idling immediately under the streetlight, in full view, watching them with death in his eyes, was a silver Scion tC that Alex immediately recognized from the Grand Prix track in Tokyo.

Montgomery.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Hugo draw the blinds, and a heavy silence settled into the foyer. The crunch of tires against asphalt indicated the slow approach of the tC, and Hugo looked at Alex. "Get to your boss," Alex said. "He's gonna need you." Hugo nodded and drove to the back of the building.

Alex pulled the guns out from under his side panels and cocked them as the tC approached and then knocked on the door. The tension was so thick Alex was worried it would slow his bullets and allow Montgomery time to escape or cause anyone else harm.

The knock came again, and again, and then he heard a wail of rage, and Montgomery drove himself through the door and drew a pair of guns. "Well, well, well," he said as a smirk appeared on his face. "Someone is home."

Alex narrowed his eyes. "What do you want?"

"You know what I want, but you're too stupid and stubborn to give it to me. You're so damn unwilling to hand over your girlfriend."

Alex opened fire, and Montgomery responded in kind. The two cars wove through each other's shots, and in his mirrors, Alex could see clusters of Hugos, Trunkovs, and Gremlins lining the foyer's back wall, guns drawn and at the ready. He could also see that the front door was still open. In one of the most suicidal moves he'd made to date, he shot toward the door. His mind flashed on the chase through Tokyo, but he pushed all thoughts from his mind and wove through traffic with Montgomery on his tailpipe.

Some of the cars that noticed him let out shocked cries that he paid no attention to, and he turned a sharp corner into an alley and jumped over a dumpster. Montgomery kept close behind, and Alex's mind was racing for ideas as to how to lose his pursuer. He turned another sharp corner, blinked as he tried to get his bearings, and the second the asphalt shifted to grass, he turned left as hard as he could.

Montgomery coughed and swerved back and forth through the dust, and Alex realigned himself and turned right as hard as he could. The two continued like this across the park, until finally, Alex heard no one following him. He slipped quietly into an alley and waited, but no one seemed to be approaching his hiding place. He let out a soft sigh of relief and turned to the left.

He spotted the tC, or some car like it, in his mirrors, and turned to face it. A black and gold Mitsubishi was trying to get away from the tC, and for an instant, he locked eyes with Alex. Alex drew his guns again and took aim. In two shots, the tC lost its two back tires. The Mitsubishi slipped around the tC as he struggled to turn himself around. "You just saved my life," the Mitsubishi said.

"Seems to be my habit lately," Alex replied. "Where you headed?"

"Away from here."

"Go south. You can get to Chicago before sunrise, but be careful around the lemons. I'll try to put in a good word for you, but I dunno how far it'll get you. Not all of them are good listeners."

"Thanks."

The two slipped side-by-side and drove through the streets of Detroit. "So, what brings you here?" Alex asked.

"Hiding from that psycho," the Mitsubishi replied. "You?"

"Meeting. About that psycho." The Mitsubishi nodded slowly. "Hey, if you're hiding from the psycho, then maybe what you should do is find Finn McMissile, Zundapp's buddy."

"Think I'll do that, and I've got a good idea where to go. Question is, can I get there without triggering a mob war?"

"I think so. We've got bigger fish to fry than a few travelers."

"Thanks," the Mitsubishi said after a moment. "For saving me."

Alex shrugged. "Like I said, I've been doing it a lot lately." The Mitsubishi smiled. "You take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will."

Alex nodded to the Mitsubishi, who returned the gesture and drove southwest, toward Chicago. Alex smiled, shook his hood, and turned a corner, glancing in the mirror to see that the tC wasn't following him.

He slipped inside the meeting house, and immediately lemons fired questions at him. He shot backward, into the wall, as they pressed in on him. "Get away from the kid," a Gremlin snapped, though it took a minute for the voice to penetrate Alex's panicked haze. When it did, he recognized Curby cutting through the crowd. "The kid's gonna have an engine attack. Back off." The lemons fell silent and rolled back. Curby turned to Alex and studied him closely. Alex swallowed and took a few deep breaths. "You okay?" Alex nodded. "What happened?"

"Montgomery," Alex managed. The lemons erupted into a flurry of whispers, and Curby hissed again.

"C'mon."

Alex followed Curby across the foyer and into a room in the back of the building. Victor, Ivan, Alex Hugo, and Vladimir were packed into the small room along with a few personal guards, and all eyes fell on the pair as they entered. "The son of a bitch is here," Curby said.

"What?" Vladimir asked. "How?"

"Okay you know how every car is born with four wheels?" Alex began. Vladimir narrowed his eyes at him, and Alex returned the gesture.

"Okay, fellas. The world's goin' to hell. We don't need to help," Curby said, moving as if preparing to break up a fight. "I'll call Tubbs, tell him it's not safe here, and then we've gotta find somewhere else to go."

"Nowhere's safe. He can go anywhere, follow us to wherever we go. If he finds out we up and left, he'll follow us, because he knows we know the Professor. He's gonna try to get to the Professor and whoever he worked with on this project of his. I think the Mitsubishi I met earlier might have something to do with the project, too. That was why Montgomery was there, trying to rough him up a bit."

"What?"

Alex took a deep breath and explained everything that had happened, and when he finished, the group of lemons exchanged looks, and a heavy silence settled into the room. "I...I think I'll call the Professor."

"No," Curby said. "I'll do it. You stay here and get some rest, or try to."

Alex nodded reluctantly, and Curby drove out of the room. Alex settled into a corner, and as the adrenaline in his body dissipated, he settled onto his chassis and waited.

CARS

Lexie closed her eyes. Something was wrong; she could feel it in her gas tank. After a moment, she drove out of the cone and over to the pay phone. She called a number and waited, and finally Alex said, "What's up?"

"What happened?" she asked.

"Excuse me?"

"What happened tonight?"

"Is somebody dead?"

"You tell me."

"What are you talking about? What happened?"

"That's what I'm asking you. All I've got to go on is a feeling in my gas tank. You just happen to be the first person I thought of to call, and the feeling in my gas tank tells me that you know something, so out with it."

He sighed heavily and said, "Okay, but listen to me. This is really, really bad, what happened tonight. Montgomery showed up at the meeting house in Detroit, where Curby, Trunkov, and Hugo are camping out."

"What?"

"Montgomery's here, in Detroit."

"Are you okay? Has anyone been shot?"

"We're fine, all of us, the dons especially."

"Did he disappear again?"

"Seems that way, though he probably went to a tire store. I shot out his back tires to save some tuner car."

"Which tuner?"

"Black Mitsubishi with gold down the sides."

"That's Shorts. He's connected to Finn and the Professor. They worked together with Montgomery's spy Alan deCarteran to build me. Then they busted me out, dropped me off here, and the rest is history."

"Okay, so it was okay for me to talk to him."

"Yeah, and you might see him again."

"You think?"

"It's likely, considering."

"Okay."

"So did anybody tell Finn or the Professor?"

"Curby went and called the Professor."

"Okay, good. So what do we do now? Wait around for him to show up?"

"I don't know, Lexie. I don't know."

"Somebody has to, and it looks like I'm asking around."

"Still wanna talk to Montgomery, make him tell you all he knows?"

"Hell yeah. I'm gonna figure out what he wants, and nothing short of death is going to stop me."

"Holy crap are you tough."

"I've gotta be. I'm in this war, and I'm gonna come out alive or not at all."

Alex laughed. "Remind me not to get on your bad side."

"Yeah. Apparently I'm a one car army."

"Be careful what you say. They're watching everything we say and do."

"I know."

"Be careful, okay?"

"You, too."

"I will."

"Okay." Lexie hung up and turned toward Route Sixty-Six. The yellow traffic light was blinking over the street, revealing with each flash the cable and patch of road where the corpse of George Townsend had been discovered just days before the Grand Prix was supposed to start originally.

She watched the blinking yellow light for several minutes, thinking of the murder, Alex, Montgomery, deCarteran, and the word Ceres, but mostly Alex. The way his scars looked in the setting sun, his familiar aquamarine color, the way he chased a magnet across Tokyo in order to save her.

She sighed and settled onto her chassis, closing her eyes and allowing a soft smile to play on her bumper.

The smile faded when she thought back on what she was getting into. Alex was a Pacer, a member of one of the Four Families, and somehow she had the sense that once she got in, she couldn't get out to save her life. Lexie wasn't sure she wanted that, but she wasn't sure if either she or Alex could get out at this point.

She took a deep breath and turned away from the light, driving back to the Cozy Cone.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Tubbs and his entourage drove through Detroit, a green Pacer continually firing directions at him. There was so much going through his mind that he didn't bother putting the Pacer in his place, and besides, he wanted to be the one out front if anything as bad as the Professor had described, second-tire, were to take place.

Five minutes after landing in the airport, he pushed through the doors of the meeting room and asked, "Where's Alex?" Alex Hugo paused, but drifted back and pointed to the scarred aquamarine Pacer. Tubbs drove over to him and took him in his tires. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Alex replied.

"What the hell happened last night?" Alex told him the story, and when he finished, Tubbs fired off questions. "Did anybody get shot? Where the hell is this guy? Where's this other car you met? Why here? Why now? What does he know?"

"Uncle Tubbs, Uncle Tubbs, please, calm down. Nobody got shot, don't know, left for Chicago, don't know, don't know, don't know. Anything else?"

"From you and considering the circumstances, no." Tubbs patted Alex on the fender and turned to face the other heads of the families. "Everybody's okay, right?" he asked. After a chorus of yeses and nods, he allowed himself to relax a bit. "We're here for a meeting, fellas, so let's have one."

CARS

Okay, Lexie thought, studying the room around her, time to figure out what I need to school. She drove around the cone, picking out various items and studying each closely before designating an area for it. After she finished, she studied both piles of items and let out a satisfied sigh. Fairly well set, she thought, turning and driving out of the cone.

A few of the residents were gathered at the V8 Cafe, exchanging small talk. The television was on, playing the midday news, and Lexie parked in front of it, next to the Sheriff. "What's up?" she asked.

"Same old, same old," the Sheriff replied. "You?"

"Getting ready for school, worried about Alex and this Montgomery situation, the usual."

"Sounds like you got a lot on your plate."

Lexie shrugged, and then she turned to the Sheriff. "Alex is a member of the Pacer family."

"Yeah?"

"I'm just worried that I'm in too deep and I won't get out alive."

"Nah, I doubt it. You'll be just fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Look, I spent the better part of the sixties fighting the Four Families and other crime families. I got cars out for doing worse than talking to a few lemons."

"And how many got out on their own?"

"And lived? Well..."

"Exactly."

"That was the sixties; this is now. You're, what's that word Finn used? A Ceres. I dunno what that means, but it must be important, considering the way he said it."

"I don't know what it means, either, but I doubt a word's enough to save my life."

"Okay, forget the word Ceres for a minute. We all know you can fend for yourself better than most of the cop cars I've ever met. I know for a fact you're gonna pull out okay."

"What about Alex, if he wants to leave?"

"Well, that's a little trickier, but I think it can be done. If he wants to."

"Right."

"Why're you askin', anyway?"

"In case bad things start to happen. I wanna be sure everyone's gonna be okay."

"Define 'bad'."

"Mob war, intra-family fighting, basically anything having to do with mobsters and guns."

"Oh."

"So do you see my dilemma?"

"Yeah, I think I do."

Lexie turned back to the television, but she paid little attention to what was on the screen. "I guess I'm a little too young to worry about this stuff, but I do."

The Sheriff shrugged. "'S okay. Happens to a bunch of cars, all the time."

Lexie opened her mouth but was cut off by a chopper overhead. She turned toward the black helicopter, following it with her eyes as it flew over Radiator Springs and into the desert. She drove after the copter, and after a moment, she realized that it was going to the dirt track around Willie's Butte. She pulled onto the ledge and watched the chopper land twenty feet beyond the butte, and then she drove onto the track toward it.

A teal Zundapp Janus disembarked, and she instantly recognized him from the party in Tokyo two months before. "Professor Zundapp?" she asked.

"_Ja_," he replied. "You've heard of me?"

"Bits and pieces."

"Good. Come with me."

Lexie turned and followed Zundapp across the desert. "It's about Montgomery."

"You are as good as McMissile says you are."

"Thanks."

Zundapp turned to face her and lowered his voice. "He is looking for you."

"I know."

"Do you know how many cars could die if you were found?"

"Excuse me?"

"McMissile likes to think we don't know what you're meant to be, but being a weapons developer, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that you are, in fact, a weapon, and, if I may, one of the finest I have ever had the opportunity to work on."

"Am I supposed to be surprised?"

"Maybe yes, maybe no, but you are supposed to know. Nowhere is safe, for you or from you."

"Even more about this mess that I don't understand. I feel so naive."

"And that may be your saving grace. It implies an underlying goodness and sense of morality that keeps you from being easily manipulated. It can save you." Lexie chuckled and told him what the Sheriff had told her. "He is right," Zundapp said simply.

"A word or trait won't save me."

"By themselves, no, of course not, but a car is much more than the sum of his or her parts." He nodded to her and drove into town without another word.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

"A car is much more than the sum of his or her parts," Zundapp had said. Something about the phrase sounded familiar to Lexie, but she wasn't exactly sure what. She shook her hood and focused on the more pertinent aspect of her conversation with the Professor. He had told her that she was a superweapon, and he even complemented her on that. She had to admit she hadn't been complemented on the quality of her design as a weapon before, and she wasn't exactly sure on the protocol.

As her tires passed over the desert, the sand getting in her treads and in certain places in her undercarriage, her mind wandered over everything that had happened up to that very moment ever since this mess started back in Los Angeles and she first met Alex Pacer. He had saved her once, in a way, but she had to save herself. That was the only thing she was certain of anymore.

She exhaled softly, glancing in her rearview mirrors at the dust cloud behind her. Her eyes scanned the endless desert before her, with its clusters of bushes and millions of square miles of dust, and whatever else was out here that hadn't been found by conventional law enforcement, treasure hunters, or anyone else. All this separating Radiator Springs by hundreds of miles from the nearest settlement, also along the Mother Road.

Lexie's tires kicked up dust wherever they went, and she was certain she could feel her way across the desert with her eyes closed. The sun continued to sink low in the western sky, but she really didn't care.

She wove around a bush and took air off another one, and then she drifted to a stop the instant she spotted a crater. The crater looked fairly recent; the edges were jagged and sharp-looking, and there were pieces of debris scattered about on the crater floor. "Weird," she whispered, giving the scene a once-over and turning to drive back to Radiator Springs.

CARS

Tubbs looked at the heads of the three families. "Look, we have a problem to address, and we can't tapdance around it like we do at other meetings," he said. "Somebody attacked my grandnephew, and that can't be ignored."

"How the hell do we expect to track him down?" Curby asked. "Tell us that, and we'll do it."

"He'll go to Radiator Springs," Alex said, "because he knows that's where Alexa will be, and Alexa's the kingpin in all of this. If she goes one way or another, our fight's either won or lost." The four dons looked at Alex with raised eyelids, and he rolled forward and added, "No matter what, our hope, our fate lies in Radiator Springs. Our job is to get to it before Montgomery and his agents do."

Vladimir, Victor, and Curby exchanged looks, and then Victor locked eyes with Tubbs and nodded. The other two copied the gesture, and then Victor asked, "How many cars do you need?"

Every other car in the room looked at Victor Hugo, but no one was willing to speak for a long moment. "Send me first," Alex said. "It'll tip them off if dozens of lemons show up in one town at once, and besides, I've got the perfect excuse: a cute girl." Nearly everyone, including, to Alex's surprise and others, Victor, chuckled. "What? It's true. Well, cute is an understatement. She's more like outright hot."

Tubbs shoved Alex lightly on the fender. "Let him see his girlfriend," he said through his laughter.

Victor recovered from his chuckling and said, "Very well. Our messenger friend has done his duty to us. He may return to Radiator Springs."

"Thank you," Alex said, tilting his hood toward Victor.

"Let us know personally if anything happens, to you, her, or anyone else."

"I will."

"Good. Now, you best get going. The sooner you leave, the sooner you get there."

Alex nodded to the dons and hugged Tubbs before driving out of the building and heading south.

CARS

Finn and the tuners drove lazily into Radiator Springs, where several residents greeted them. Finn waved to Sarge and the Sheriff and nodded to Flo and Sally. "Well, boys, I'll leave you here. My informant, Sir Miles Axlerod, is somewhere around here, presumably hiding in fear of his life. I think I'll have a word with him before I go," he said amiably. The tuners drove into the V8 Cafe, and Finn drove into the Cozy Cone, asking Sally where Axlerod was staying in and then driving over to the Wheel Well, several miles out of town, and knocking on the door.

"Yes?" Axlerod asked timidly from inside the room.

"It's McMissile."

"Oh, yes, come in." Axlerod opened the door, and Finn drove inside. "Is everything alright?"

"I just heard from the Professor that Montgomery has appeared in Detroit while the dons were gathering for a meeting concerning him. That means somehow he knows the moves of the dons before they do. It's going to be difficult to stay a step ahead of him."

"He used to be the chief of CHROME Britain. I'm not all that surprised, really."

"Listen to me. You won't be safe here if he arrives, because I suspect he knows he's been spied on."

"That means you're not safe, either."

"I can handle myself. You've always been relatively safe. I fear that you will freeze up in a situation of real danger and lose your life."

"I'm a dangerous criminal and now an escapee from a maximum security prison."

"But a car nonetheless. I have a soft spot for life." Axlerod sighed and looked at the carpet, smirking momentarily before frowning and rubbing the carpet with one of his tires. "My point is, be careful. This is about to get dangerous."

"You don't need to worry about me, McMissile," Axlerod said, meeting Finn's gaze. "I'll be just fine."

"I should hope so."

"I will."

"If you insist."

Finn drove out of the cone, and the door closed just after he heard Axlerod say, "I heard I'm not the one you need to worry about."

"That's odd," Finn muttered to himself. He filed the moment away for future reference, but he tried not to think too much of it.

He returned to the V8 Cafe, where the tuners waited, clustered together and watching the residents around them as if watching a movie. "Are you four alright?" Finn asked. The tuners exchanged looks and nodded to him. "Are you sure? You look like you're about to be sick."

"You don't look so hot yourself," Boost replied.

"Oh, really? I hadn't noticed."

"Dude, how busy have you been? Do you remember your last day off?" Wingo asked.

"I feel just fine, thank you very much."

Wingo and Boost raised eyelids and looked at each other for a moment before returning their attention to Finn. "You sure?" Boost asked.

Finn sighed. "I admit this isn't the typical mission. It's much longer, seventeen years, and still going strong. It's got to be the longest battle of wits I've ever been in, against any opponent."

"Think you can handle it?" Snot Rod asked.

"Oh, I hope so. I hope so."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

At around dusk, Lexie returned to Radiator Springs after a day of driving through the desert, and she drove up to Finn as soon as she spotted him. "Know anything about the crater out in the desert? Looks fresh?" she asked. "Got a little debris in it still?"

Finn looked around and rolled in closer. "That crater used to be CHROME United States," he breathed. "Some lemons managed to destroy it about twenty years back, and now I have reason to believe that it was part of Montgomery's elaborate distraction ploy."

"The Professor told me something about him."

"I see you've met."

"Yeah. You seen him?"

"Not of late, but I heard he was staying at the Wheel Well just outside the town limits. It's probably a move to protect himself."

"Montgomery appeared in Detroit."

"I've heard."

"From Alex?"

"From the Professor."

Lexie nodded. "If he's looking for me, I'll come to him. I've been meaning to talk to him for a while now."

"Do you think it can be done? Montgomery has to be one of the most sly cars in living memory, and he is certainly the most devious I have come across."

"I'm his weapon, aren't I?"

"Where did you hear this?"

"From the Professor, but that's beside the point right now. I'm his weapon, and I can use that to get him to talk to me about why."

"Are you certain?"

"What else can I do?"

"You can avoid him altogether."

"Something tells me he's not gonna let that happen."

Finn nodded as if to concede, and he looked out over the desert. The sky was filled with red, orange, and purple, and even the desert sands began to change color, shifting into a soft scarlet rather than their usual light orange.

She looked at Finn and then down Route Sixty-Six. "Doesn't look like any visitors tonight," she said absently.

"Good," Finn replied.

She turned and drove into town. It wouldn't be long before she had to go to school for her last year, and somehow she felt it would be even sooner before she came face to face with Montgomery and had a shot at getting an answer out of him. She swallowed and settled in to listen to one of Mater's tall tales.

CARS

The second Lexie locked eyes with Shorts as he rolled back into town, her gas tank clenched. To all superficial appearances, he looked normal, but in his eyes she saw fear, the dissolved sort that appeared a day or so, or even a week or month, after a particularly shocking experience, but fear nonetheless. "Montgomery?" she asked. He nodded.

"There a place for me to hide in this town? Several others turned me away," he replied.

"There should be, somewhere, but if I were you, I'd be careful who I talked to. Something's about to go down, and if we fail, I don't want anyone else in trouble but the ones they're after in the first place, which is you, me, Finn, and the Professor."

"He's here?"

"That's what I hear, and apparently that's what Finn heard, as well."

"Won't hurt to check."

"You do that. I'm waiting for the go-ahead to skip town."

"Who needs permission to ditch town?"

"School, dude. School."

"Oh, right. School."

"I'm serious. I have to go to my senior year of high school or I'm a dropout and thus ineligible for the racing circuit."

"Oh, I see. You wanna go into legit racing."

"Yes, yes I do."

Shorts chuckled, and then he rolled past her to the very edge of the settlement. Lexie turned to follow and thought better of it. "Have you seen Alex?" she asked.

"What's he look like?" he replied.

"Aquamarine Pacer, scarring on the hood, front bumper, and front side panels."

"Yeah, he was in Detroit a couple days ago. He got me away from Montgomery."

"Oh, so that's why he asked about you."

"He did, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Well, go Alex."

"Take it you like him."

"Never said I didn't." Shorts shook his hood and rolled forward. Lexie glanced over her fender at Route Sixty-Six and then followed the tuner into Radiator Springs. "The Wheel Well's several miles outside of town."

"Got it."

"You'll know it when you see it."

"I said, I got it."

"Fine, be that way." She parked at the cafe and took a few deep breaths. Tricky situations call for this sort of thing, she thought. It's nothing personal. It's life getting to us, all of us.

Lexie looked around the town, but everyone went about business as usual as if nothing had happened, and without being exactly sure why, she drove off toward the Wheel Well.

CARS

Shorts knocked on what had to be the tenth door in the past fifteen minutes, and he braced himself for someone to yell at him or throw something at him, but to his surprise, a Zundapp Janus sporting a monocle answered the door. "So the rumors are true," he said.

"Yes, they are," Zundapp replied. "Come in."

Shorts drove into the room, and Zundapp closed the door. "Just came from Detroit."

"Yes, I heard about what happened there. Are you alright?"

"Me, I'm just fine. I'm not sure about the Pacer that saved me, but I guess he's okay."

"Which Pacer?"

"Alex."

"Oh, yes. He holds out quite well, considering he floats a little between the families, especially during mob wars."

"He does?"

"You don't know?"

"I don't do that kind of business anymore. This Alex Pacer's a young kid, so I probably got arrested before he was even heard of."

"So what are you doing here?"

"Running from Montgomery, like you are."

"Very well, then, but you know this is risky."

"Yeah, but so's everything. That's the way life works."

Zundapp nodded and turned toward the window. "The storm is coming, all the way from Detroit."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've heard we're all screwed. Can't these cars just show up and try to take us out so we can get it over with already?"

Zundapp turned toward Shorts and raised an eyelid. "That eager to die, are we? You know he will notice that, and you'll be the first to go."

"Doesn't mean I won't die right off."

"True, but it does mark you in a way that the rest of us are not marked. You, through your sheer pride, will make yourself more of a target than you may find you truly desire."

"Yeah? Well, what the hell do you know, grandpa car?"

"What do you think? I am a weapons developer, not a chronic moron. Perhaps you might recognize me as Shotgun Willie? One of your son's friends has." Shorts let out a breath and settled back, biting his lip and narrowing his eyes. "Have you spoken with McMissile?"

"No, but I talked to Lexie the second I got here."

"Good. She is well, I trust?"

"So far as I could tell."

"_Wunderbar_. I will talk to McMissile myself. As for you, hole up somewhere and lay low. We can't risk your hubris getting us all dead."

Shorts nodded and drove out of the room.

CARS

Lexie ducked into a corner as Shorts drove down the hall, and after a few minutes, she drove out to the lobby of the Wheel Well. Guido was tending the bar for the evening, and her parents were at a table in the parking lot, and the Sheriff, Flo, Ramone, Sarge, and Fillmore were watching the television. She drove out of the Wheel Well and down Route Sixty-Six to Radiator Springs.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

It had to be around ten in the evening when Alex Pacer rolled into town, and Lexie could hear a helicopter fly off in the distance. "They sent me for now," Alex said. "I'm supposed to let them know when it gets bad."

"Okay," Lexie replied, "but I don't know if they'll get here in time."

"If that's true, what about you?"

"I can handle myself, thank you."

"You sure?"

"Positive." Alex nodded and settled in next to her. "Do you know, offhand, if Tubbs would...support you if you decided to leave his world and settle down, you know, live an average life?"

"I'm pretty sure. Uncle Tubbs is sorta like my dad, and I know he wants the best for me, or I think he does, at least. I hope he does."

"You know what? Me, too. If he doesn't, then I'll have to have a rather serious chat with him, wink, wink, hint, hint."

Alex chuckled, closed his eyes, and shook his hood. His smile faded, and he said, "Don't think I'm getting out, though. The Pacers are my family, and I can't just drop them like hot potatoes so I can stay alive. It might not even work, for one. Soon as Tubbs dies, if I get out, I'm a marked car. I'm as good as dead."

"Where do I come into all of this?"

"What do you mean?"

"I figure my case is rather unique, so I might add some element that throws the traditional scheme of things way out of whack."

"Well, maybe. Couldn't hurt anything to introduce a new element or so."

"And if it does?"

"I...don't know. I really don't know."

Lexie nodded and scanned the town. Radiator Springs was quiet for that time of night; even the tuners, who she expected to have a drag race of some form nearby, were most likely in their cones. "It's like everybody's getting ready for the end, whatever it may be. Like they can all feel Montgomery coming with his own small army to kill us."

"Are you ready?"

"I hope so. I wish he'd get here so I can get this over with and go to school."

"You should be careful what you wish for," a familiar icy voice said.

"You made it," Lexie replied, turning to face a silver Scion tC. "Good thing, too, because I've got a few questions for you."

Montgomery chuckled and gestured to the black Aston Martin at his side. The car drew a gun and drove toward Alex, and Lexie slipped a gun out of her hubcap and took aim. "Oh, what do we have here?" Montgomery asked. "Looks like you have a boyfriend." Lexie switched from aiming at the black Aston Martin to aiming at Montgomery.

"I know what you had them make me into. I heard it from one of the cars working on me. You want me to be a weapon? Then have it your way, right here, tonight. I'll fight."

Montgomery laughed outright. "You think you can win?"

"I have to if I'm going to live."

"Lexie, are you sure?" Alex whispered. She gestured for him to be quiet.

"Do you expect me to humor you? Is that it?"

"You must've gone to a lot of trouble," Lexie said. "I wonder how important I am to you as a weapon. What if I jumped off the cliff out by the Wheel Well, which is about three or four hundred feet over the valley?" Montgomery paled, but his expression didn't change. The black Aston Martin turned the gun on Lexie, and she added, "If your boss wants me to live, do you really think that's a good idea?" Reluctantly, the car tucked the gun back into his hubcap.

"I did go to quite a bit of trouble for the Ceres Project, thank you for noticing. Now, are you really going to jump or are you bluffing?"

"Lexie, this is getting dangerous," Alex hissed through gritted teeth. Again, she gestured for him to be quiet.

"If you really want me to send myself off of a four-hundred-foot cliff, then go ahead, by all means. I'll even give you directions."

"Oh, how accomodating," Montgomery said with an oily smile. It took all Lexie had to repress a shudder.

"Right this way," she said, driving off down Route Sixty-Six. Montgomery and the black Aston Martin followed, and Alex wove his way through Radiator Springs in search of a few cars in particular.

CARS

Lexie pulled into the parking lot of the Wheel Well, right next to one of the patio tables, and turned to face Montgomery and the black Aston Martin. "Welcome to the cliff just outside the Wheel Well. As you can see," she gestured behind her, "the view is spectacular, save the Interstate, if you want my opinion on it. Of course, the desert below will be the last thing I'll see, unless you decide to stop me right now." Slowly, she backed up toward the drop, and a few feet away, she turned to face it. How the hell did I talk myself into this mess? she thought.

"I deem it fair to warn you right now that the concept you were built around dictates that you will survive this jump," Montgomery said. "I've gone over every detail myself. However, I won't stop you if you are, in fact, suicidal and do wish to jump."

Lexie turned to face the two sportscars. "You sons of bitches," she said. "You sons of bitches. You made me talk myself into jumping off a cliff. You don't care if I live or die. Are you sociopathic?"

Montgomery shot forward, and Lexie braced herself for impact. She only allowed herself to be sent a couple of feet, but it was enough. Her left rear tire slipped off the edge of the cliff, sending dust and debris out into the valley below. Her hubcap slipped away from the rest of her wheel and spun on an axis with the sound of a buzzsaw, and she pushed up. He rushed back, a gash splitting the lower half of his front bumper, all the way up to his lip, in two. Past Montgomery, Lexie could see the black Aston Martin disappear inside the Wheel Well. "Looks like you're on your own," she said.

"Well, you know what they say. When you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."

"That doesn't mean you have to be abandoned by your most trusted henchcar. He is a henchcar, right? Or am I getting that wrong? Feel free to correct me if I am."

"You vastly underestimate the complexities of my relationships with my agents."

"Oh, they're agents. Since you just got out of jail, are they rogue?"

"I certainly don't think so. Most loyal bunch of cars you'll ever find."

"Certainly not if your lieutenant just bailed on you when he saw I can kick your bumper from here to Tulsa."

"I'd love to see you try."

"Come at me and you will." Over his fender, she noticed Finn, Lightning, Sally, the Professor, Shorts, and others gathering around outside the Wheel Well. Montgomery drew a gun from his hubcap and cocked it. Lexie braced herself as he took aim, doing her best to control her breathing and think of a way out of this. She talked a lot of talk, yes, but she wasn't sure why.

Then it hit her. He had no qualms about killing her, so why did she have qualms about killing him?

Montgomery approached, and Lexie reached forward and grabbed his gun. He fired, and she felt a piercing pain by her wheel. The bullet was deep inside her, near her defroster vents, and almost unbearably painful, but she turned anyway. He fired again, sending another bullet into her, this one embedded near her engine, and he tumbled over the ledge, firing a last shot that grazed her side panel.

Lexie drove to the edge of the cliff, watching the sportscar tumble end over end into the valley, laughing.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Zundapp studied the complex engine-electromagnetic-pulse-emitter system in front of him. A bullet was wedged between the EMP and the engine proper, and he spotted another under the defroster vents earlier in the examination. "The one under the defroster vent can be removed easily, he said, but the one near the engine will be trickier. That was a lucky shot, for both you and Montgomery."

"Are they dangerous?" Lexie asked in reply.

"No. Bullets by themselves, once motionless, are harmless, but considering the novelty of a few of the circumstances, I don't want to take any chances." Zundapp turned to Ramone and asked for a few specific tools and then set to work. Lexie relaxed when the bullet near the defrosters was removed with little to no hassle to speak of, but cursed herself for it when Zundapp worked his way around her engine and EMP. She winced and squirmed, gritted her teeth, tensed her body, struggled to obey Zundapp when he told her to be still, and finally let out a cry when the bullet came free. She settled onto her chassis, her eyes closed and her breathing heavy.

"Ouch," she whispered.

"I told you to sit still. It probably would've hurt less if you listened to me."

"I tried. You pulled too much at what's supposed to be there."

"You expect me to argue this point with you all day, don't you?"

Lexie rolled her eyes and drove off of the platform. "I've got better things to do," she said.

Outside the body shop, near the V8 Cafe, she spotted Finn and Shorts filling the Sheriff, Holley, and Mater in on what happened the previous night, but she drove by without giving any indication that she noticed.

After a little while, she drove off Route Sixty-Six and into the desert. The sand crunched under her tires, the one source of comfort in the mess that was her life at that exact moment. She drove in a lazy circle around Radiator Springs, choosing a path of least resistance that would get her to the cliff under the Wheel Well Motel and Restaurant. A soft breeze kicked up some dust as she drove along, but it wasn't as bad as it could've been.

She reached the base of the cliff, and ten feet to the right of her arrival point was the pile of parts covered in a thin layer of desert sand that used to be Montgomery. Her mind flashed back to his fall, namely that he laughed that oily cackle that seemed a perfect match for him as he tumbled into the valley.

"Yea, though I walk in the shadow of the valley of death, I shall fear no evil," a voice behind her said, and she turned to face the Land Rover that had arrived in town several days earlier.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I know a few things about the depravity of the soul," Axlerod replied as he parked next to her. "Once you know and understand something like that, you have no need to fear it."

"What if you begin to fear yourself?"

"This will pass."

"How do you know?"

"I spent twenty years in a maximum security prison, pouring over every detail of the Allinol case. After I began comprehending what I had done, I feared and hated myself, thinking myself the most depraved car on the planet. Then I thought about who I had done my work for, and I realized that perhaps I hadn't been as depraved as I judged myself to be. I've figured out that the car who orders others to be killed is worse than the car doing the dirty work."

"What is this, the stages of grief and the moral stages having a bastard child?"

Axlerod chuckled. "You could argue that, yes, but I personally see it as a process all its own, accomplished only by a few distinct sets of circumstances. You will come to the end of it in time, though I can't say exactly how much time, since every car's different."

Lexie turned to face him and held a tire out. "Thanks, Axlerod."

"Call me Miles." They shook tires, and Lexie gave him her name in return. "It's a pleasure."

"Same here." After a moment, she said, "I've done what I needed to do here, so I guess I better pack up and go to school." Without another word, she turned and drove back toward Radiator Springs.


End file.
